Philippe Carcassonne Movies
- 2008
A group of women struggling with their sexuality speak openly with the female counselors who wonder if such a thing as "sexual freedom" is truly possible in this tale of the incredible hidden in mundane, everyday events. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anne Alvaro, Nathalie Baye, (more)
- 2008
Algerian filmmaker Tariq Teguia wrote and directed this impressionistic look at a man whose life takes an unexpected turn far away from home. Malek (Abdelkader Affak) is a surveyor from Algeria who is semi-retired, but at the urging of a friend he takes an assignment in Oran. The region in question was the site of frequent battles during Oran's civil war, and an earlier survey that would make it possible to bring electrical utilities to the area was cut short by the fighting. While the zone is still unstable, Malek sets out to complete charting the area, and finds the locals regard him with suspicion and hostility. However, not everyone is disrespectful, and he discovers a young woman (Ines Rose Djakou) who is attracted to him, which leads him to consider abandoning his old life to run away with her. Inland was an official selection at the 2008 Venice Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 2007
A civil servant gradually regresses into a fantasy world while falling for a beautiful movie star (Diane Kruger) in director Denys Arcand's (The Barbarian Invasions) dark comedy. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marc Labreche, Diane Kruger, (more)
- 2006
Augustin Dos Santos, the cheerfully eccentric struggling actor played by Jean-Chretien Sibertin-Blanc in Augustin and Augustin, Roi du King-Fu, returns to the screen in this comedy from France. Augustin brings his one man show to a retirement home, where he learns one of the residents is Odette St. Gilles (Danielle Darrieux), who was a noted singer and actress in her youth. Despite her advanced age, Odette is as alert as ever, and she expresses great admiration for Augustin's performance. A few days after the show, Augustin wrangles a commission from French representatives of a Swedish glass-making concern to provide entertainment during a visit from the home office's top brass. Augustin has been asked to whip up a show that's "typically French," and when he decides his own material doesn't quite fit the description, he asks Odette for help. Odette suggests they stage an adaptation of the correspondence between Madame du Deffand and Julie de Lespinasse, and Augustin agrees, hiring out-of-work television actress Bettina Fleischer (Arielle Dombasle) as Odette's co-star and half-bright thug Franck (Christophe Vandevelde) as their love interest. However, it doesn't take long for Augustin to discover working with Odette is more of a challenge than he expected. Oh La La! (aka Nouvelle Chance) received its world premiere at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Danielle Darrieux, Arielle Dombasle, (more)
- 2002
Patrice Leconte directs the period drama Rue des Plaisirs, set in Paris during the 1940s. Born to a prostitute, Petit Louis (Patrick Timsit) grows up in a brothel called the Oriental Palace. He is raised by the family of prostitutes and eventually becomes the brothel's handyman. Having developed an idealized romantic nature, Petit Louis instantly falls in love with the new girl, Marion (supermodel Laetitia Casta). Though she doesn't return his affections, he shows his love by finding her auditions to develop her singing career. He also tries to find her the perfect mate in Dimitri Josco (Vincent Elbaz), who ends up being less than expected. After the end of World War II, the government shuts down the brothels just as Marion, Petit Louis, and Dimitri find themselves in trouble. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Laetitia Casta, Patrick Timsit, (more)
When the grown-up children of a missing parent are reunited with their father, they discover it raises more questions than it answers in a well-crafted mood piece from writer/director Anne Fontaine. Jean-Luc (Charles Berling) is a well-to-do physician whose practice is devoted to older patients, many of whom are forced to confront their fears about death. While Jean-Luc is used to dealing with such issues, they come home for him one day when he learns that his father has died. The news prompts Jean-Luc to look back at his younger days, and his difficult relationship with his dad, Maurice (Michel Bouquet), who ran out on his family when Jean-Luc was a boy and returned after he'd grown to adulthood with few explanations about where he'd gone (he became a volunteer physician in the Third World) and why he left his wife and children behind. Growing up in an air of uncertainty has had an impact on Jean-Luc's relationship with his wife Isa (Natacha Regnier); neither is certain of how to reach out to one another, and Jean-Luc sometimes seeks comfort in the arms of Myriem (Amira Casar), an assistant in his office. Maurice's absence also took its toll on Jean-Luc's brother, Patrick (Stephane Guillon), who deals with his anxieties by pursuing a career as a comic, while earning his keep as Jean-Luc's driver. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michel Bouquet, Charles Berling, (more)
French Canadian director Denys Arcand pushes the boundaries of the mockumentary with Stardom, the tale of a fictional neophyte supermodel (Jessica Pare) told entirely through clips of her appearances on talk shows, television interviews, and documentaries. Originally titled 15 Moments, Stardom begins its portrait at a women's hockey game in the nether regions of Ontario, Canada. When the team's formidable teenage forward Tina (Pare) pulls her helmet off, letting her brunette tresses fly, a bystander snaps a photo, and Tina soon becomes the buzz at the country's hottest fashion houses. Her rise through the industry, however, is plagued by advances from older men with sundry motives: a smitten French photographer (Charles Berling), a smarmy entrepreneur (Dan Aykroyd), the Canadian Ambassador to the U.N. (Frank Langella), and a slick promoter (Thomas Gibson, the latter half of TV's Dharma and Greg). Stardom was the closing film at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival, marking the first time in over 50 years that a Canadian production was chosen for such an honor; it would go on to open the 2000 Toronto International Film Festival before its theatrical premiere. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jessica Paré, Dan Aykroyd, (more)
- 2000
French history gets turned upside down in this lavishly mounted comedy with an international cast. As Napoleon (David Suchet) prepares for the Battle of Waterloo, he's nearly killed by an assassin. The attempted murder is foiled by Corporal Armani (Dominique Pinon), and a grateful Napoleon promotes the soldier to Field Marshal, not realizing that the rescue was a happy accident rather than an act of heroism, or that Armani's ineptitude will cost him dearly later on. Meanwhile, Napoleon is looking for inside information on the Duke of Wellington (Stephen Fry); accordingly, he is happy to make the acquaintance of Lady Edwina (Alexandra Vandernoot), who claims to be a French spy with some major dirt on the British command. Napoleon is smitten with the comely intelligence agent and soon they're enjoying a fling, but what he doesn't know is that she's actually working with the British to uncover information on the diminutive French ruler. When Edwina beats a hasty retreat, Napoleon thinks foul play is afoot, and he decides to follow her, disguising himself as a peasant woman to avoid suspicion. Though set in France and directed by Spanish filmmakers, Sabotage! was shot in English with an eye toward the American market. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Stephen Fry, David Suchet, (more)
Richard Bean directs this slick, ultra-cool noir thriller about a master pickpocket sucked into the realm of gangland violence. Franck Spadone (Stanislas Mehrar), along with his two sidekicks, swipe the wallet of gorgeous, depressed stripper Laura (Monica Bellucci) while working the Paris Metro. Awestruck by the image of the stripper, Spadone begins hanging out at the club where she works, which is a Mafia den where a band of mobsters are plotting the next battle in a gang war. Soon Spadone finds himself engulfed in the violence surrounding him; he is beaten to a bloody pulp one day and is almost murdered by a bumbling hitman the next. Meanwhile, Laura is forced by her Mafioso boyfriend (Carlo Brandt) to sleep with a wizened, corpulent don. Spadone decides to take matters into his own hands to save his love. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Monica Bellucci, Stanislas Merhar, (more)
Olivier Assayas directed this French drama, examining several relationships over a year's span, capturing varying textures and shades of feeling between people from late August of one year until early September of the next. Gabriel (Mathieu Amalric) and Jenny (Jeanne Balibar) separate, despite the affection that still binds them. A new love develops between Gabriel and young designer Anne (Virginie Ledoyen) as they overcome their fears and uncertainties. At his publishing job, much of Gabriel's emotional energy is spent on his close friend Adrien (Francois Cluzet), a once-promising novelist whose recent writing failed to repeat the critical and commercial success of his early novels. Jenny, who remains friends with Adrien, embarks on a new relationship with Jeremie (Alex Descas). When an old illness reappears, Adrien must come to terms with an early death; he begins an affair with 15-year-old schoolgirl Vera (Mia Hansen-Love). The personal tragedy of Adrien's death impacts on the fabric of friendships, as the individuals in the group reflect on death, life, and the future. Jeanne Balibar's performance won her the "Best Actress" award at the 1998 San Sebastian Film Festival. Shown at the 1998 Toronto Film Festival and the 1998 New York Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mathieu Amalric, Virginie Ledoyen, (more)
- 1998
This French comedy-drama about a dysfunctional family won France's Jean Vigo award. In the tightly-knit Ducret family, farmer Luc (Frederic Pierrot) is married to Jeanne (Muriel Mayette), who regrets they abandoned their deformed firstborn to an institution -- an event the couple has kept secret from their other three children. Although antisocial Julien (Vincent Deneriaz), their retarded 19-year-old son, is interested in girls, he spends his time talking to a cow which gave birth to a two-headed calf. The police would like to see Julien institutionalized. After Julien finally learns about Jules, he revs up his moped and embarks on a "rescue" mission to bring Jules home. Shown in the Certain Regard section at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Muriel Mayette, Frederic Pierrot, (more)
- 1997
This French-Spanish drama depicts a flat marriage that picks up a few new wrinkles. Nicole (Miou-Miou) and Jean-Marie Kunstler (Charles Berling) have run their small-town dry-cleaning shop for 15 years. When they visit a local night club, they see the brother-sister act of Loic (Stanislas Merhar) and Marilyn (Mathilde Seigner), who perform under the name Queens of the Night, and the four soon become friends. Later, the Kuntslers visit Basel, Switzerland, where the siblings are appearing. They learn the team is splitting up and invite the bisexual Loic to help at their shop. He accepts, and his presence alters their outlook on life. Shown at the 1997 Venice and Toronto film festivals. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Miou-Miou, Charles Berling, (more)
- 1996
In this French thriller, an actress wins the role of a murder victim in a film based on the true story of an unsolved crime. She discovers her neighbor was the lover of the woman who was murdered in real life -- and is still a suspect. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Patrick Goyette, Peter Stormare, (more)
Murder and double-dealing among the idle rich sets the stage for this drama. Alan Cross (Adrian Dunbar) is a British detective who travels to a wealthy community along the coast of France in 1938; he's there to attend the funeral of a friend and wants to find out more about the mysterious circumstances behind his friend's death. Cross finds a privileged British family who were close to the deceased and who seem to live by their own set of rules. Helena Graves (Joanna Lumley) was good friends with the deceased, but she claims to know nothing about how he died. Helena's daughter Celia (Gabrielle Anwar) is engaged to a hot-blooded American but has also been involved in an incestuous relationship with her brother Jeremy (Stephen Dorff); Jeremy harbors a dark childhood secret regarding the death of his brother, and he is courting a Jewish woman, much to the chagrin of the anti-Semitic Helena. Cross becomes convinced that someone in the Graves family is to blame for the death, but it's not until someone else dies that the truth begins to bubble to the surface. Innocent Lies was also shown under the title Halcyon Days. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Stephen Dorff, Gabrielle Anwar, (more)
- 1995
In this interestingly amiable French comedy, a stuttering would-be actor with a nervous tic auditions for a variety of film jobs ranging from parts in industrial films, to commercials. The overly earnest fellow has no idea that those he comes in contact with find him hilarious but are too kind-hearted to tell him the truth. When the fellow is not auditioning, he is taking mind-numbingly dull claims for clients at an insurance agency. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Stephanie Zhang
- 1995
The many ways in which men are fascinated, compelled, and confused by their attraction to women are explored in this four part drama. As a filmmaker (John Malkovich) tries to sort out his plans for his next film, he considers several stories about women and the men who love them. Silvano (Kim Rossi Stuart) meets Carmen (Ines Sastre) and immediately asks her for a date, but despite his attraction, he can't follow through on his feelings for her. The director spies a woman on the streets (Sophie Marceau) and follows her obsessively, but when he finally meets her, he's disappointed, despite their mutual physical attraction. Roberto (Peter Weller) and his wife Patricia (Fanny Ardant) have to deal with their anger about each other's infidelities, as well as their problems with their lovers, Olga (Chiara Caselli) and Carlo (Jean Reno). And Niccolo (Vincent Perez) falls in love at first sight with a young woman (Irene Jacob), unaware that she is studying to become a nun. Par-Dela Les Nuages was Michelangelo Antonioni's first film after a massive stroke derailed his directorial career in 1985; Wim Wenders served as his collaborator on the project. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Malkovich, Kim Rossi Stuart, (more)
- 1994
Two different narratives, separated by 37 years, interconnect in this feature debut from acclaimed Canadian theater director Robert Lepage. In 1952, Alfred Hitchcock (here played by Ron Burrage) is in Quebec, filming I Confess. While the great director's presence adds a bit of Hollywood excitement to the usually sleepy city, Rachel (Suzanne Clement), a 16-year-old girl who works at a church being used for filming, is in turmoil. She's become pregnant and has nowhere to turn, so she speaks of her dilemma to the priest in the confessional, secure that it will remain confidential. In 1989, Pierre (Lothaire Bluteau) has returned to Quebec after three years in China to attend the funeral of his father. He encounters his adopted brother Marc (Patrick Goyette), and together they begin searching for answers to their difficult questions about their true heritage. Kristin Scott Thomas appears in a supporting role as Hitchcock's assistant. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lothaire Bluteau, Patrick Goyette, (more)
- 1994
In this French drama, an irresponsible man is forced by circumstances beyond his control to communicate with the family he's kept at a distance. Jean-Paul (Gerard Lanvin) is the manager of a hotel in Nice whose shady business practices have put him seriously into debt; he needs to raise 300,000 francs in three days, or the loan sharks who've been keeping him afloat will come after him. Desperate for help, he approaches his younger brother Philippe (Jean-Marc Barr), whom he hasn't spoken with in ten years; Philippe stole Jean-Paul's girl from him, and subsequently married her. Jean-Paul also contacts his older brother Francis (Bernard Giraudeau), a schoolteacher who was disowned by their father when he admitted to the family that he was homosexual. Neither Philippe nor Francis can help him, so Jean-Paul tries to visit his father Raphael (Roberto Herlitzka) in Italy, hoping to put a large insurance policy on his father's life, naming himself as beneficiary. When it turns out that Raphael has gone missing, the three brothers must come together to find their father and keep him out of danger. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gérard Lanvin, Bernard Giraudeau, (more)
- 1993
If such a thing as gentle humor can be wrung from murderous misogyny, this all-star comedy is the embodiment of it. The basic point of the film seems to be this: unattached men long to live with women, and once they do, they long to live without them. In this story, Paul (Thierry Lhermitte) is upset about his wife's having left him. He can't stop thinking about her, and eventually decides that he'd be much happier if he knew she was dead. Then, he thinks, he could put an end to his obsessing. His uncle, a judge (Phillippe Noiret), knows of a man who killed his wife more or less on purpose, and got away with it. Paul and his uncle get together with the lucky killer, Vincent (Richard Bohringer), and, on their way to visit Paul's wife, discuss how Vincent managed to kill his wife and get away with it. Along the way, the aggravations women bring to men are pretty thoroughly (and humorously) hashed over. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Bohringer, Thierry Lhermitte, (more)
Daniel Auteuil and Emmanuelle Béart from Manon of the Spring (1986) co-star once again in Un Coeur en Hiver, playing characters whose distance from each others' lives belies the enormous emotional impact they have on one another. Directed by Claude Sautet, whose 40-year career included the Oscar-winning César et Rosalie (1972), Un Coeur en Hiver is a remarkably restrained film with torrents of feeling just under the surface. Auteuil plays Stephane, partner in an exclusive violin brokerage. His older business partner Maxime (Andre Dussolier) has a lovely new violinist girlfriend, Camille (Béart), who stirs Stephane but is ultimately rejected by him, sending all three characters into a spin that destroys their delicate, symbiotic balance. Hovering over this story is an unusual musical motif that is key to the characters' inner motivations. Violins play, and play on camera, all through the film, but the nature of Stephane's craft, Camille's career, and Maxime's profits is that the music can always be refined, tinkered with, changed with a twist of this or a bit of that. That's precisely how they conduct their relationships and lives -- with a fragile sense of security and no idea when to stop manipulating life for effect. ~ Tom Keogh, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Daniel Auteuil, Emmanuelle Béart, (more)
- 1990
The two black men in this tragedy live on the fringes of French society, and come from Africa and the Caribbean. Among the things they share in common is involvement in the illegal sport of cockfighting. The film follows their exploits and daily lives among the poor of France, as they train their birds and enter them in matches. Be advised: some reviewers found the fight footage so repellent that they were unable to comment on the merits of the film, which is by the acclaimed director of Chocolat. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Isaach de Bankolé, Alex Descas, (more)
- 1990
Based on a semi-autobiographical novel by the director, actress Marie-France Pisier, this drama tells the story of a failing marriage between Charles Forestier (Didier Flamand), a stuffy colonial official stationed on New Caledonia (a French colony in the south Pacific), and his exciteable and athletic young wife (Kristin Scott-Thomas), as seen by their eleven-year old daughter Théa (Vanessa Wagner). Every morning, Mrs. Forestier goes off riding by the seashore, but when she comes back from her ride one day with a torn outfit, rumors begin to fly. Everyone says she has been seeing a young doctor. Tensions within the family build to a climax during their attendance at a ball the colony's governor is giving for a visiting dignitary. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kristin Scott Thomas, Didier Flamand, (more)
